Https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/ is this scam site
Executive summary
A preponderance of consumer complaints, forum warnings and investigative reporting indicate that usconcealedcarry.com (and closely related brands like “US Concealed Online”) has repeatedly marketed online “concealed carry permits” in ways that consumers and some reporters call deceptive or outright fraudulent [1][2][3]. At the same time there is an important legal nuance: some vendors sell legitimate course-completion certificates that are not themselves government-issued permits, and that distinction is central to assessing whether an operation is a scam or a misleading service [4].
1. The pattern of consumer complaints and watchdog reports
Multiple user reviews and complaint aggregators report identical themes: buyers paid for an online “permit” or certificate, later discovered it was not a state-issued concealed-carry permit, and then encountered refusal or partial refund policies when they sought money back [2][3][5]. The Second Amendment Foundation and other firearm-industry commentators have explicitly labeled some of these operations “nothing more than a scam designed to fleece the uninformed,” citing no-refund policies and misleading claims about reciprocity and legal effect [1]. The Better Business Bureau file also contains consumer allegations that the sales approach resembles aggressive upselling or even pyramid-like pressure in some instances [6].
2. Investigative reporting on ad tactics and transparency problems
Reporting cited in community posts and investigative write-ups documents that certain companies used heavy Facebook ad targeting and different landing pages for ad-driven traffic versus organic visitors, which obscured the true product (a certificate) while promoting the idea of instant nationwide carry rights [7]. Those practices—if accurate—fit a pattern of deceptive advertising even where the underlying product (an online class or certificate) may have some legitimate basis.
3. The legal truth: certificates vs. permits
Gun-industry analysts and established concealed-carry educators stress a legal distinction: no online download equals an actual government-issued permit; at best a purchaser may receive a certificate of completion that must be submitted to a state agency and followed by fingerprinting, background checks, and official application steps to secure a permit—if the state even allows nonresident online qualification [4]. That nuance means some vendors can legally sell training certificates, but consumers are being defrauded when marketing promises imply that the vendor provides a ready-to-use, enforceable permit [4][8].
4.Mix of legitimate actors and bad actors complicates consumer judgment
Sources make clear that the existence of legitimate online training and accredited associations creates cover for unethical marketers: reputable vendors offer bona fide training and clear guidance about next steps, while less scrupulous operators blur the line between certificate and permit to extract payment [4][8]. Scam-detection sites note that a long domain age or SSL certificate does not prove legitimacy, and many complaint threads still point to unauthorized charges and poor refund experiences as red flags [9][5].
5. What the evidence supports and what it does not
The compiled evidence supports the conclusion that numerous complaints, third‑party reviews, and investigative pieces identify usconcealedcarry/US Concealed Online–style operations as misleading at minimum and fraudulent in many consumer accounts [1][2][3][7]. The sources do not, however, provide a single definitive court ruling or government enforcement action against the specific domain in question in the provided reporting, so this assessment relies on reporting, aggregated complaints and industry analysis rather than a public regulatory adjudication [1][2][6].
6. Practical takeaway for consumers and next steps
Anyone considering an online concealed‑carry product should treat claims of an immediate, downloadable “permit” with skepticism, verify whether the product is merely a training certificate versus a state-issued permit, check for documented refunds and regulator complaints, and pursue charge reversals and complaints to card issuers, the FTC or state attorneys general where warranted—options that appear to have helped some complainants in the sources reviewed [2][5][6]. Given the volume of consistent consumer reports and investigative findings, the overall risk profile of the site and similar offerings is high unless a vendor transparently documents state-recognition and refund policies [4][9].